Dispensing dryers are an uncommon type of clothes dryer which perform all of the traditional dryer functions in addition to dispensing a treating chemistry, which may be water and/or one or more chemistries, onto a load of laundry during a drying cycle of operation. The first dispensing dryers dispensed water, which was often used as part of a dewrinkling cycle. The dispensing was time-based, which often led to over-application or under-application of the needed amount of chemistry. In most cases, as the chemistry was water, the inability to provide the right amount of chemistry was not detrimental to the clothes. Any failing in the amount of water dispensed could be addressed by redoing the dispensing cycle if too little water was dispensed and the clothes were not sufficiently de-wrinkled, or by increasing the drying time if too much water was dispensed.
In the future, it may be desirable to have the dispensing dryers dispense more specialized chemistries. These chemistries may include water, fragrances, stiffness/sizing agents, wrinkle releasers/reducers, softeners, antistatic or electrostatic agents, stain repellants, water repellants, energy reduction/extraction aids, antibacterial agents, medicinal agents, vitamins, moisturizers, shrinkage inhibitors, and color fidelity agents. These dispensing dryers could have a dedicated dispensing system with its own dedicated sensors specifically tailored or selected for the chemistry to be dispensed. For these dedicated dispensing systems, it would be desirable that the right amount of chemistry be dispensed as too little will not have the desired treating effect and too much may be detrimental to the clothes.